What is regenerative meat? Enjoy those burgers; make sure the cows were raised by a local farmer using regenerative grazing.
If you want to save the planet, eat a juicy beef burger. To some, that sounds nonsensical in light of our current beef-production models. Indeed, as more folks learn about the ills of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), the clarion call that “We must end beef production to save the planet!” has increasingly appeared in many forms of media.
Here, I’ll explain why we must distinguish between “feedlot beef” and “regenerative beef,” and argue that beef alternatives, such as “Impossible meat” and organic bean burgers, fall short. In my opinion, eating regenerative beef is far and away the best option for saving the planet
Are CAFOs Bad?
I remember childhood visits to my grandparents in rural Oklahoma. At some point, we’d pass a feedlot, often smelling it long before it came into view. We all tried to hold our breath until we passed. If you’ve never experienced the smell, it’s hard to describe how wretched it is. It’s not like stepping into a cow pie. We’re talking about thousands of pounds of concentrated urine and manure rotting anaerobically – the kind of smell that sticks not just with you but to you. Even as a child, I instinctively knew something was wrong with those feedlots. Using that as a metric for our agricultural systems wouldn’t be a bad idea: Are children drawn to it or repulsed by it?
So, yes, CAFOs are bad. Bad for the environment, bad for human health, unsustainable economically (especially without agricultural subsidies), dangerous breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and, last but not least, an abomination in terms of animal welfare.
So, if we can undo all these evils by eliminating beef production, what’s the problem? The folks pointing out the downsides of beef production don’t necessarily distinguish between industrial CAFOs and regenerative beef production. Blanket statements, such as “We know beef production produces harmful greenhouse gases,” have been proposed and shared. That’s true of CAFOs, but a well-managed, rotationally grazed herd of cows can actually have the opposite effect. Healthy pastures covered in diverse plant species help hold carbon in the ground. I’ve pointed this out in several conversations, and I’ll get responses about good beef being too expensive or those farms being too small to feed any significant number of people. I’ll hear things such as “I know about regenerative grazing and love it. But so few people are doing it that it doesn’t matter. So, ending beef production would do a lot of good.”
Now, this response might seem relatively harmless, and it’s technically correct. Since most beef producers are causing harm, if we stopped producing beef, we’d stop the harm, right?
This argument reminds me of the scene from Braveheart when King Edward orders his archers to fire into the battle where Scottish and English troops are intermingled. His subordinates venture they’d hit their own troops. King Edward’s answer? “Yes, but we’ll hit theirs as well.” Are we content with sacrificing good to take out the bad? Even though regenerative beef producers represent a minority of overall beef production, they’re real people and farmers, not extras in a movie.
Is Regenerative Beef Good?
Let’s backtrack and define “regenerative” as it applies to cattle and agriculture. A regenerative farm works to build healthy soil using natural processes. Healthy soil leads to healthy pastures and healthy ecosystems follow. A regenerative farm or ranch follows these core principles:
- Understand your context.
- Minimize soil disturbance (tillage, synthetic amendments).
- Maximize biological diversity (plant and animal).
- Keep the soil covered.
- Maintain living roots in the soil year-round.
- Integrate livestock.
Allan Savory of the Savory Institute and those who have put his farming ideas into practice work to achieve these interrelated practices with holistic management methods. Though Savory has many naysayers, the abundance of land that’s been improved through these principles speaks for itself.
Desertification is a process whereby fertile, productive land is slowly destroyed through the loss of plant life, soil compaction, and other forms of overuse. Savory and thousands of other farmers and ranchers have shown that desertification can be reversed – the boots-on-the-ground approach can improve the health of the land as well as the plants and animals that live there.
In his seminal TED Talk on desertification, Savory briefly describes his methods of high-density and short-duration grazing and shows multiple examples of desert lands that were transformed back into vibrant ecosystems with flowing streams. The process isn’t too complicated and mimics how bison naturally grazed prairie land before we messed that system all up. Animals feed on a variety of plants and move to new land regularly, giving the vegetation time to recover. As they graze, the animals break up overgrown thatch and deposit their nutrient-rich manure in the soil. Over time, plant diversity increases, there’s less erosion, and soil health improves. Farming this way takes time, but it’s amazing what you can accomplish with the proper management of cattle and other grazing livestock. You accomplish things you simply cannot when you’re growing beans. Overall, we must distinguish between regenerative beef and CAFO beef. Otherwise, we’re disparaging some of the finest farmers in the world and tossing an option to heal the Earth in the trash.
Are Impossible Burgers Better?
But, you say, what about an organic bean burger or an Impossible Burger? These are good for the environment, right? It depends. First, let’s tackle the organic bean burger.
Plants themselves don’t pollute or compact the soil, but the methods used to raise them can. Doug Voss, from Understanding Ag, emphasizes how the growing system matters: “An organic farmer can have a very negative impact on the environment as well as an industrial, conventional farmer. For example, if multiple tillage passes to establish and manage an organic bean field on a slope [are then] followed by little plant diversity and no animal integration in the program, that will negatively affect the environment. If on that same farm, the manager realizes and honors the soil health principles, it will positively impact the environment and the beans produced, in time.”
What about a burger made with conventional soybeans? They’re often grown as a monoculture, and herbicides are used in their production. Jonathan Kilpatrick from the Sustainable Farming Association shared with me, “The biggest issue is that soybeans are legumes and thus have a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. When that much nitrogen is fixed in the soil, it will burn through much of the available carbon and collapse the soil structure. Carbon is the currency of the soil; biology depends on it to live. In general, soybeans are one of the hardest crops on soil because of the herbicides used and the low carbon-to nitrogen-ratio.”
So, is it possible to grow organic beans in a regenerative way? Yes. Was your meat-free bean burger grown in a sustainable or regenerative way? Maybe. This is where local food has such an advantage. Can you determine the environmental impact of the bean burgers from your grocery store? It’s possible, but it’d take some serious dedication. I tried tracking down one popular brand’s sourcing and had no luck. If you find a local regenerative farmer cranking out bean burgers, then by all means, support them. Tracking down a local regenerative beef producer might be easier. Whether you’re looking for beans or beef, Local Harvest is one national directory where you can find alternatives to CAFO beef. Once you find a local farmer, ask questions about their production methods, including herbicide use, soil health, plant diversity in the pastures, and how often they rotate the herd.
The makers of meat substitutes claim their product is good for the environment and human health. Does that ring true for you? It’s worth digging deeper. How much tillage, erosion, and herbicide use were involved in their production? How far away were they grown, and how far did they travel to make it to the grocery store shelves? These are questions we can ask ourselves of any food – meat or not – that we buy.
For those who shy away from natural beef for moral reasons, understand that monocrop production also causes animal death and ecological destruction. Since nature thrives with biological diversity, the farmer is continually battling to maintain the monocrop. Anything entering a monocrop field, be it animal or plant, is considered an invader to be destroyed.
Conversely, regenerative beef models thrive on diversity. Regenerative farmers understand the best way to have a healthy animal is to have a healthy ecosystem in which soil health and biodiversity are revered. Riparian areas are protected and become wildlife sanctuaries. And it all adds to the overall health of the farm.
Which Do You Choose?
So, what would the world look like based on your food choices? What kind of agriculture and Earth are you casting your vote for when you eat regenerative beef, feedlot beef, Impossible meat, or an organic bean burger?
When I think of eating, a little movie often starts in my head. When I’m tempted to grab some fast food, unbidden images of stinky feedlots flood my mind. This is usually enough to rein in my appetite.
What would the movie look like for an Impossible Burger? For me, it’d be shot after shot of fields that resemble the desecrated lands of Tolkien’s Mordor. Think I’m exaggerating? There have been times I’ve been reduced to tears while driving through the countryside, passing field after field of dusty, brown death. It simply doesn’t have to be this way.
However, when I think about eating a burger with meat from a regenerative farmer, the movie that plays in my mind is different. I see my dear friend Ron (a local regenerative farmer) opening a gate and letting his eager cows into a fresh paddock of vibrant green grass. Ron smiles as he pontificates on how his soil is improving each year. Cows rip a tuft of healthy grass in Ron’s green fields, in contrast to his conventional neighbor’s brown fields. It’s a wonderful feeling to not only enjoy my food, but also know I’m supporting a family farm that’s improving the land they tend.
Nothing beats regenerative grazing in regards to healing the Earth and building vibrant topsoil. Start your journey by visiting Eat Wild and Regenerative Farmers Of America. Seek out and support your nearest regenerative beef producer. Not only will you be supporting good management with your food dollars, you’re also likely to meet some lovely folks. If you’re serious about saving the Earth, it’s high time. Instead of throwing them under the bus, rally behind these farmers and ranchers and sound a new clarion call: “Eat regenerative beef!”
Joshua Guess is a devoted member of his faith, husband, father, and farmer. He’s raised pastured chickens and pigs and he and his lovely wife own and operate Rooted Farm Microgreens in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
